Arthur has no link: Betha

THE Prime Minister’s Office has denied an article in an Australian newspaper linking Private Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare to a logging company known as Heybridge Pty Ltd.
The Australian newspaper published a news article last week claiming that the Sepik River Development Corporation, representing landowners and chaired by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, negotiated a logging deal with Heybridge, in which Arthur Somare was a leading shareholder.
The newspaper had tried to link the Somare family to the logging industry.
In response to a series of questions sent by The National in relation to The Australian news article, the Prime Minister’s media adviser Betha Somare said in an email response that Arthur (Minister Arthur Somare) had no interest in logging or with Heybridge.
She said Sir Michael was the chief in the area and therefore entrusted as chairman of the eight villages in lower Sepik that made up SRDC.
She added that the Somare family did not receive any financial benefit from SRDC.
She described the article as sinister and accused The Australian of previously (last year) running an article about her being a director of a family company SAB, which was not true.
She described SRDC as a perfectly legitimate company that benefits landowners.

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